On the fifth day in Suhayaveli, which was the evening of October 18th.
Ludmila returned from her shift and the moment she walked in, she saw Wang Zhong busily writing away.
Nelly stood by with a candlestick in hand.
Curiously, Ludmila asked, “What are you doing?”
“Writing a summary of experiences. I had already done an oral summary with Pavlov and the others, but now that I think about it, it’s better to write it down and share it with more people.”
Approaching behind Wang Zhong, Ludmila read from the notebook, “‘Artillery is the only branch where our forces and the enemy’s do not have a decisive gap. The heavy artillery they use is just as old as ours…'”
Wang Zhong took over and continued, “The enemy’s artillery textbooks have not been updated for many years. We are on the same starting line with the enemy in terms of artillery.”
“Moreover, the enemy does not prioritize the use of artillery at the campaign level, and the artillery organization goes up to the army level at most. The enemy’s army group level battle units do not have corresponding artillery.”
“This is because as the emperor who is the chief of the enemy, he is more interested in the rising technology branches, enhancing the influence of these branches to compete with the traditional Junker officer corps for power and profit…”
Ludmila asked with confusion, “How do you know all this?”
Wang Zhong: “His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, my lord. His Highness has been studying the situation in Prosen to prepare for resisting the invasion.”
In fact, these reports came from another timeline, on top of a little speculation by Wang Zhong.
On Earth, the Sturmtiger, because ‘Xiaogu’ was very popular, had significant influence, wanting to include everything that moved on tracks under the banner of Armored Troops.
‘Xiaoman’ has been resisting all along, striving to increase the number of assault guns within the Infantry Division’s composition.
Because the assault guns were to be made using tank chassis, there was fierce competition for production capacity between the two sides.
Wang Zhong merely assumed that these situations could be transferred over.
Clicking her tongue, Ludmila said, “You’ve started writing experience sharing notes; will you have to compile textbooks in the future?”
Wang Zhong: “It depends on the situation. Her Royal Highness said she plans to establish a temporary school in Charon to specifically teach the experience of combat against Prosen.”
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Ludmila: “Charon? Isn’t that your newly conferred land?”
“That’s right. It seems I’d be responsible for teaching at this school.”
Ludmila exclaimed in surprise, “They’re not putting you in charge of the front lines?”
Wang Zhong: “Of course, when the front lines are tense, I’d naturally command the troops, but during the winter and the muddy season from February to June next year, I expect the whole line will be relatively quiet.”
Ludmila: “So they’ve asked you to teach people how to deal with Prosen? And when the front lines get tense again, they’ll send you back?”
Wang Zhong: “What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing,” Ludmila shrugged her shoulders, “Then, my great military strategist, how long will we have this period of quiet?”
Wang Zhong glanced at the calendar: “I estimate it’ll be quiet till November, depending on when the ground starts to freeze. General Winter will rescue the enemy from General Mud. They might have about a week’s time to attack before the major cold snap comes.”
“And then?”
Wang Zhong: “Once the cold snap arrives, it’ll be our turn to counter-attack.”
————
While Wang Zhong was having a warm conversation with his fiancée, General Von Maqi of the Prosen Second Armored Group was raging at his subordinates.
“What do you mean we can’t move forward anymore?” the general roared.
The commander of the 16th Armored Division, serving as the vanguard, said, “Our division currently has only thirty tanks ready for combat; all the other tanks have been abandoned in the mud due to mechanical failures.
“Spare parts can’t be delivered, and the maintenance factories are stuck in the mud, immobile. The number of tanks being repaired each day is zero, zero!”
“The situation with the half-track vehicles is just as bad, and the worst is with the trucks. They get stuck in the mud easily, and then we have to unload everything from the trucks, otherwise, even with a tractor, we can’t pull them out!”
“General, if you make us move forward, we would have to become infantry. Do you really want the tank operators to charge like infantry?”
General Von Maqi fumed, “We have been held up at the Duva River for so long, we’ve become the laughingstock of the entire Army Group, no, the entire Prosen Army! Others are saying it’s us who let Ante’s heavy forces get away.
“The glory we gained at Argesukov has been completely lost! Do you understand, my dear division commander?”
It was sarcastic for a general to refer to a major general division commander as ‘my dear’.
The commander of the 16th Armored Division retorted, “Alright, then I’ll order my men to continue advancing, even if we lose all our tanks, and pretend we’re infantry! Would that satisfy you?”
General Von Maqi paced back and forth in the command post, silent for a minute, before asking his adjutant, “Does the logistics department really have no solution?”
Aide-de-camp: “After crossing the Duva River, we advanced nearly a hundred kilometers, and the logistical pressure increased. Coupled with the mud… The Third Armored Group in the north encountered logistical problems even without rain. I think, General sir, the logistics department has tried every possible method.”
Von Maqi seemed to have made a great resolution before asking, “What about air supply?”
Aide-de-camp: “Air supply can only be done by airdrops, because even if the engineers build field airstrips, the Air Force planes dare not land due to all the mud. In fact, the Air Force has already suspended the use of those field airstrips with bad conditions, and now only Argesukov’s permanent airstrip runways are in use.”
Von Maqi suddenly insisted: “Then just airdrop! What’s the problem with that?”
Aide-de-camp with a bitter smile: “Airdropping requires parachutes, which after the initial days of airdropping, couldn’t be replenished and ran out.”
Von Maqi burst into a rage: “These good-for-nothings in the logistics troops! Good-for-nothings! On the beaches of Burgundy, it was logistics that forced us to stop! And then that damned Air Force boasting, claiming that it could be done relying on air supply alone!”
No one dared to speak, all waiting for the general’s anger to naturally subside.
Finally, Von Maqi sighed, “At this point, we can only accept our fate. All units should stop advancing, make an effort to collect and repair the abandoned tanks, and accumulate supplies. Wait for the freeze-over to launch an attack.”
“Freeze-over?” the aide-de-camp asked in surprise, “Why mention freeze-over?”
“Now the mud is making it impossible for us to move, but once it freezes over and the ground hardens, won’t we be able to attack? We’re a little over two hundred kilometers from Ye Fort now—just ten days—no, five days and I’ll be able to charge into Ye Fort!”
General Maqi said confidently.
————
Argesukov, Prosen Army Officer Rehabilitation Center.
Giles, his head wrapped in bandages, was writing a letter to Feliz’s parents: “Dear Uncle and Auntie, I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to tell you the details of Feliz’s sacrifice. First, I must apologize: Feliz’s sacrifice was largely due to my oversight…”
Just then, a nurse rushed into the single ward with a tense expression: “Lieutenant General! His Majesty the Emperor is here!”
Giles hurriedly put down his notebook and pen, rising from the hospital bed.
As soon as he stabilized himself, Emperor Reinhard entered the room and quickly came over to support him, “Why are you standing up! Lie down and rest!”
Giles: “Your Majesty! I failed to capture Shostka within the set timeframe…”
“Just two days behind schedule, which is acceptable.” After helping Giles back onto the bed, His Majesty sat on the edge and then gestured for others to leave.
Soon, only the emperor and Giles were left in the ward.
The Emperor: “I’ve heard about Feliz’s incident, and I’m sorry. That Rocossov is a despicable bastard! To attack so covertly!”
Giles: “Our sudden breach of the non-aggression pact isn’t really any more noble than his actions.”
The Emperor: “It’s fine to say that when it’s just us two.”
“It’s precisely because it’s just the two of us that I’m speaking so frankly, Your Majesty,” Giles said, “and I’ve been contemplating the telegram Rocossov sent me. If we continue to attack, we’ll step into a trap. Our supply lines are already troubled, and without the capacity to transport winter gear and other cold-weather supplies, when winter comes…”
Giles trailed off.
The Emperor, with a worried face: “I only show such expressions in front of you, Ziggy. Even a fool can see the truth by now. Our only hope is to use the time between the freeze-over and the onset of the cold wave to rush to Ye Fort.”
Giles: “Rocossov and his division won’t let us succeed.”
The Emperor: “He only has one division…”
“No more! Kashuk downstream and behind him, Kiriyenko of the Sixty-sixth Army Group—the enemy has started to surface competent generaüs amidst the turmoil! And we’ve helped them with their selection!”
The Emperor, hands covering his cheeks: “Of course I know. In fact, there’s also Meishikin from Bolsk, Gorky from Andrew Fortress… The enemy is quickly picking out capable commanders and eliminating the useless.
“But we haven’t lost the war yet; we have eliminated nearly three million enemy troops after all. Although this pincer movement failed to annihilate the hundreds of thousands of enemy troops in the encirclement, it did deal them a heavy blow! There are at most only a million enemy troops left towards the capital. I think if General Maqi were in charge, he might be able to break through to Ye Fort.
“Besides, General Maqi once crushed that ironclad Rocossov’s defenses, and although he escaped in the end, I believe he could do it again.”
Giles: “Ironclad Rocossov?”
The Emperor: “That’s the nickname the enemy’s Star of Victory gave him.”
Giles: “Inappropriate. It should be Rocossov of the artillery, Rocossov of the bombardment, or… or Rocossov the funeral provider. After all, only his troops and ours have such a good exchange rate, sending our soldiers to hell so efficiently.”
Giles paused, glancing at the notebook on the table.
The Emperor: “Your suggestion to preserve the Shostka fortification specimen has been approved. The Empire’s Science Academy will soon complete its survey and make a life-sized replica within our territory. Perhaps we’ll find use for it in the future. Also, the order to develop a heavy assault gun has been issued, overseen by Doctor Porsche.”
Giles: “Finally, some good news.”
Reinhard, lowering his hands from his face and with determined expression, said: “I must prepare for the worst-case scenario. After all, I am the Emperor of the empire.”